Bible Strands
Matthew 23:9
And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses his followers in Matthew 23 while warning against adopting honorific titles typically reserved for religious leaders. He situates this command within a sequence prohibiting the use of "Rabbi" and "instructor" as exclusive human designations.
The words — The Greek πατέρα (patera) means "father," and καλέσητε (kalesēte) translates to "may call." Jesus uses these terms to prohibit the human attribution of a title that belongs solely to God.
The thread — The text contrasts earthly and heavenly fatherhood, echoing Malachi 1:6 where God questions where His honor is as a father, and Hebrews 12:9 which contrasts human disciplinarians with divine authority. It also aligns with 1 John 3:1, which identifies believers as children of God by divine love rather than human title.
Why it lands — The text commands readers to reject human honorifics that compete with God's unique role, directing all spiritual reverence exclusively to heaven. It requires humility by treating all teachers as brothers under a single heavenly Father rather than elevating any earthly figure.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Cross-references
- 1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.
- Hebrews 12:9 Furthermore, we have all had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them. Should we not much more submit to the Father of our spirits and live?
- Malachi 1:6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?” says the LORD of Hosts to you priests who despise My name. “But you ask, ‘How have we despised Your name?’
- Job 32:21 I will be partial to no one, nor will I flatter any man.
- Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
- Matthew 6:8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
- Matthew 7:11 So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
- 1 Corinthians 4:15 Even if you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.
- 1 Timothy 5:1 Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as to a father. Treat younger men as brothers,
- 2 Kings 2:12 As Elisha watched, he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And he saw Elijah no more. So taking hold of his own clothes, he tore them in two.